Callowed
by Rayzor14
Summary: Drew Porter, after having suffered through the myriad of unfortunate happenings that had occurred to both him and those in his circle, had come to a single, irrefutable fact: Maybe getting that tattoo like Ninja Girl wasn't such a great idea.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes: **Whoo hoo! More stuff!

Yes, I know I really shouldn't be posting so much stuff when I have so many other things to finish (Like ADF and Networking) but these ideas just keep coming and I just feel a desperate need to get them out. But, just to be clear, ADF is my main story right now followed by Networking with everything else afterwards. Until either is finished, updates for anything else are going to be spotty at best and inactive at worst. Now, onto the actual story itself.

Drew is one of those characters that I personally can't get enough of. Sure, most times he's portrayed as a JerkAss with little to no redeeming qualities and people seem to just love to place him as the trigger or catalyst or whatever to Jade's Dark Ascension. And honestly, I think that's just unfair. Sure, Drew's is kinda jerky but he's not really all that big a bully. He insults Jade and mocks her a lot but she isn't all that phased and pretty much anything he says is just shrugged off or rebutted, plus if he really was so bad then why does Jade hang out at school with him so much? Besides Paco, he's the only other kid we see her talking to on something of a regular basis.

Another point is the primary element of this fic: ShadowKhan. But not just that. Unlike so, so many other fics out there with Jade (Awesome and lovable as she is) turning back into the ninja queen and seeking revenge/world domination/respect/ect. Here, we have ShadowKhan!Drew. And unlike Jade, who's got more or less a year plus of magic experience under her belt before taking the mantle, Drew's just thrust into the middle of things. Hell, Jade's basically outright stated to be a gifted/chosen one throughout the series and has the skills, talent, and wits to show for it. Drew's…an Elementary 5th grader with average abilities for his age, average know-how, and a smattering of street smarts. Drew is, overall, average. Which makes him a perfect starting template. Now onwards, to the fic!

Callowed

_Ichi__一__: _One of Those Mornings

The morning was idiosyncratic. He'd no idea why the morning had decided to abandon the typical and begin with such queer happening, but, as he'd decided as his brain started to acclimate to the situation, he suppose he should've expected something along these lines. After all, the previous evening had been an eventful one to say the least.

It'd started at school, recess to be precise, and as things were wont to do, he was having it out with the class' resident eccentric: Jade Chan. Their frequent spats that could generously be called debates were something of a pastime for the fellow student body and as such had gather a crowd of spectators that'd ringed around them like a social noose. The current subject of debate was old hat and one that was the star of many a heated argument.

"Ninjas do _so _exist, Point-Dexter!" Jade, orange hoodie and blue pants clad, stamped her foot, kicking up fractural pebbles "We've been over this like, umpteen-billion times."

"As if." Drew Porter, weighty faded cap, baby blue shirt, and khaki adorned, huffed with arms folded "If they're so real, how come _I _haven't seen 'em?"

The crowd turned to the girl, hushed whispers and murmurs abound as they waited eagerly for her forthcoming rebuttal. "Maybe because _you _wouldn't know one if it reached out and gave you a wedgie. Ninjas are master of disguise, remember?"

Eyes and ears shifted, pinning on the opposite youth, his eyes darting about before retrieving his answer "If their such masters of disguise, how come you've seen 'em, Ninja Girl?"

Switch "Cause unlike you, _I _pay attention, Four-Eyes."

Switch "Oh yeah? Then how come you didn't see that pop quiz comin' in history?"

Switch "Please, Miss Hartman's super strict and mega tough. She gives those things out like, twice a week. Why'd you not see that dodge ball comin' in gym?"

Switch "Cause you knocked my glasses off, Jade. You think you're tough just cause you dodged some stupid balls?"

Switch "No, I _know _I'm tough because I've beaten up Demon Sorcerers, wanted criminals, _and _Dark Chi Warriors. _You _couldn't even man up and get a real tattoo."

Switch "S-s-So?! At least I didn't get in mondo trouble like you did!"

Switch "Please, at least mine was _real. _My Uncle had to get mine specially removed, which wasn't fun by the way. Yours came off with water. So who's the wuss now, _Nancy _Drew."

Drew stuttered, witty retort half formed in his throat that died bitterly on his tongue as the ring erupted in laughter. Jade planted her hands in her pockets, cocky smile and triumphant swagger as she about-faced and marched back to class, the ringing of the bell and the taunting mirth of his classmates echoing in his ears. For a moment, he'd stood there, hand limp at his side and face struggling between depression, embarrassment, and indignation. A breath later and his cheeks flared red, teeth locked tight behind a thunderous pout. He stomped forward, entering his class with a sour expression before taking a seat far from the Chinese girl.

So, Jade thinks he can't handle a real tattoo? Well, he'd show her! His dad was working late at the station and his mom wouldn't be home till twelve that morning, which left him plenty of time to enact his brilliant plan to show up Ninja Girl. The school day dragged, as it always did whenever he wanted to leave as soon as possible, and when the final bell did sound, he'd barreled out of his seat and out the double doors, his being nothing but raw determination. Trekking through downtown and narrowly avoiding none-to-few cars who's owners made their displeasure of his questionably suicidal action quite clear, he'd found himself at an apartment complex in one of the poorer neighborhoods. Keeping in mind to avoid eye contact with the resident riffraff and having secured any personal affects of significant worth within his knapsack, Drew climbed the worn, iron wrought steps until he finally managed to place the correct floor and then door with his memory. Knocking twice, he waited with baited breath in hopes that his contact was within the dwelling.

"Who's it?" the voice sounded rough, breaking at odd intervals and he sighed in relief "I ain't gots all day."

"Jayson," he drew himself up higher, spine straight and chest puffed out in a show of faux power "It's me, Drew."

There was a series of clanks as tumblers and latches were unmade before the door cracked open a bare sliver, a fad grey eye observing him with piercing clarity before retreating and the hall filled with the undoing of even more locks. A final loud, heavy clunk and the door creaked ominously open and Drew took a half step back as the voice was given form. They were tall, almost twice Drew's diminutive height with a wife beater over a black long sleeve that was rolled halfway up their biceps. Their pants were holey and he wore no shoes, simply faded socks that were most likely white in another life. His face was as rough as his voice, a head of low-cut, amber locks with a matching, gnarled beard he was currently scratching.

"Get in." he grunted and Drew hastily complied, nose assaulted by the stench week old food, cheap cologne, and failed dreams.

Jayson F. Mayers was the type of person his dad had really never particularly cared for. He'd been a high school drop out, simply walking out of his mid-term during the mid-way of his junior year and never looking back. Blessed with the build of an athlete but the motivation of a sloth, he was the textbook example of what _not _to be when you grew up. Drew's acquaintanceship with the young man had been chance. He'd been at the library getting books for his one of Miss Hartman's numerous class projects while Jayson had been using the free Wi-fi to look up…well, let's just say it wasn't very public domain appropriate. Drew didn't rat him out and Jayson didn't snub him and from there, they'd met from time to time. Mostly happenstance and always alone. Drew really had no particular wish to see what his father might say to seeing him in the company of such a person.

Jayson remade the final latch and hefted the wooden plank back in place, dusting his hands before collapsing into a tattered arm chair which was bleeding stuffing onto the floor. Drew hazarded a seat on a swivel chair, feeling it creak nervously under him as he tried to get a comfortable position.

"So," he reached onto the littered coffee table and procured a can of fermented grains, popping the top "what brings you here, little man?"

Drew swallowed a nervously wad, upsetting the raging butterflies in his stomach as he carefully worked up his nerve. "I need a tattoo."

Jayson swallowed, raising a dubious brow as he stared at the boy with new, sharp eyes "Why you need ink, little man? Thought your ol' man got made last time you tried sumthin' like that."

True, his dad had nearly blown a gasket last time he'd colored his skin until he assured him it was of the harmless, wash-away variety. But this time was different, This time, it wouldn't be washed away by friction or water or anything else lest he wanted it to. He gulped, stirring the butterflies into a frenzy. If he-no, he wasn't a chicken. He wasn't a Nancy Drew- _When _he went through with this, it'd mean having it as a permanent part of himself. It would always be there, forever staining his skin and reminding him of when he finally reached the point when his body became just another way of upstaging his rival.

"Cause I just do, alright?" that came out snippy and Drew hastily backpedaled "You can do it right?"

Jayson studied him for a brief moment before nodding his affirmation. The man was an artist by trade. Or at least, he said he was an artist by trade. Drew wasn't too sure on just what he'd been doing after dropping off the face of public learning, but he did know that Jayson could draw exceptionally well. And that a few choice dwellers sported his work across their bodies. He'd seen a few of his work and was suitably impressed. He'd always been told home tattoos always ended up horribly wrong or horribly ugly, but Jayson seemed competent enough to produce well-done products. That and he was pretty sure anyone else might be morally conflicted about giving a minor a tattoo. Plus, he'd do it for free…hopefully.

"Got sumthin' in mind?" he placed his drink down, leaning back onto the chair that dribbled out more of its innards.

Drew nodded and reached into his knapsack, drawing out a sheet of paper and carefully smoothing out the creases and edges before presenting it. He'd spent all of his computer time for the next three months looking for the design before finally finding it on the one hundred seven-sixth page under 'Cool-ninja-demon-mask-thing-looks-cool'. It was just as he remembered Jade having: freaky eyes, fangs, and decorated with the overall appearance that simply screamed awesome. Jayson took the picture, studying with a critical eye before lowering it to look at Drew.

"Where you want it?" And Drew sighed another breath of relief before rolling up his right sleeve to his shoulder and slapping a hand just beneath it.

"Right here." Easy enough to show to his classmates and Ninja Girl and vague enough to be easily hid behind a short or long sleeve so he'd be able to avoid abruptly changing his style and tipping off his parents.

Jayson frowned, moving over to inspect the exposed flesh before checking once again with the picture. "Gonna have to make some adjustments, but other than that, no problem. You got anywhere ta be?"

"Nope." At least not for another seven hours. Jayson nodded and hummed before slinking to the back of the apartment.

Prepping to get the tattoo proved almost more nerve racking than getting the tattoo itself. When Jayson came back with a razor, Drew had, reasonably, been unnerved and scrambled back, promises of phoning police and social services ignored as he tiredly explained his reasons before proceeding to shave the area of barely there hair. Once that was done, he'd washed his arm thoroughly with a wet rag and soap and before leading him to his spare room that'd been converted into his workspace. There, he'd been seated in what was easily the best looking and feeling seat in the house, if not entire complex and placed his arm against the rest and watched as it was strapped down.

"Don't want you moving too much." He'd been told and tried not to think of the implications as he prepared his nerves.

He'd sat down in a rolling stool, digging in a draw before pulling out what looked like some weird amalgamation of household parts held firmly in place by duct tape. Assuming it some poor man's inking needle, he simply waited as Jayson rolled back up.

"Ready?" Drew nodded slightly, trying his darnedest not to let any of the shaking, restless nerves translate to the motion. The man said nothing further and he flipped on a radio behind him, the sound of some underground rap group blaring and catching him off guard.

Then the needle hit and broke skin. Drew bit his lip, sucking in a breath as his pain receptors started firing and conveying to him that yes, this does hurt and yes, this might've been a pretty stupid and rash idea. Part of him, okay most of him, wanted to stop. Wanted to get away from this wickedly sharp needle and go home where his dad would get mad but then make the pain go away. He wanted to stop. And he wanted it so, _very badly. _But it didn't and he forced himself to endure. Even as his raw nerves sung as the steel dragging across his tender, exposed skin, drawing droplets of crimson blood.

After what felt like hours despite it only taking two, the strap was undone and Drew blinked the teary blurs from his vision and turned his head towards Jayson who nodded in satisfaction. Rubbing the remainder of his lamentation dry, he rose his arm and attempted a look at the finished result of his agony.

"I had to simplify it, needle's not small enough for that and there wasn't a lot of space to work with." Jayson explained and Drew heeded this as he took in the sight of his ink.

It was different, not as complicated as the original with filled gaps and spaces with few lines but there was sophistication to this stripped down style. Tribal, he believed it was called. Drew left the apartment after his newly acquired tattoo was cleaned, swathed in jelly, and then covered with gauze and with implicit instructions to avoid the sun and to take showers, not baths. He'd never particularly favored showers but had done as told nonetheless. After a brief wash, he'd donned his nighties and gone to sleep.

Only to wake up to the sight of half a dozen men dressed like some badly dubbed, B-rated foreign flick with dead, red eyes and blue- Freakin' Blue!- skin. While that alone was enough to warrant his immediate interest/bewilderment, the fact that they all were bowed with the leader presenting him with a tray of his preferred morning fair of pop tarts and OJ while the two flanking him held a fresh set of clothes and his knapsack took the cake. The boy discretely pinched himself, the brief flash of pain doing nothing the dispel the sight before him.

"Drew? You up, buddy?" The boy blinked at the sound of his father's voice, the room amazingly empty upon finishing as the head of the household entered, a concerned crease to his brow "You alright? You didn't wait up on me last night."

Oh. Right. That's because he didn't want his dad to see the pretty obvious bulge on his arm that was hiding the sorta-illegally-gained ink that would no doubt landed him in hot water for who knows how long. Chuckling sheepishly, he shrugged his shoulders and was surprised he felt no pain originating from his freshly acquired body art.

"Guess I was just tired. I was pretty beat from getting that tat-tactical seat at lunch! Yeah, yeah, that's it." His dad gave him a wry look before shrugging and leaving his son to prepare for his day of public education.

Drew rubbed at his eyes, feeling the dresser for his glasses as a wave of energy surged through him, leaving him feeling buzzed and alert but his surroundings no less clear as he searched for his prescribed eyewear.

"Thanks." he said in gratitude as he was handed his glasses-He placed them on and beheld the sight of the same, ninja-like man, creature, thing from before. He/she/it looked at him before reaching its opposite hand round and producing his breakfast. The boy simply stared as he cautiously retrieved the poptart from the tray, nibbling on the plain crust as the tray was placed on his lap a moment later. He gave them a look, morning energy channeling to fear as he nervously bit into the sweet filling.

"Um, can you guys like…I dunno…leave?" And just as ordered, they all sank into their shadows, the shaded pools shrinking into nonexistence and leaving a gapping Drew in their wake.

Breakfast was finished with a hurried, frantic pace born of the fear of the unknown and the desperation to understand it sprinkled with a bit 'Oh God, Why Me?' before he searched about for his clothes only to find them AWOL. As his mind raced as he tried to divine their whereabouts, a stray thought entered his head and he swallowed dryly as he guardedly asked for his clothes. Sure enough, the shadow of his bed stretched, a tendril snaking forth and blooming wide as the whatever rose just high enough to present his clothing and upon being relieved of his burden, disappeared back into the inky blackness as the shade melded once more with bed's shadow.

Drew looked the clothes over with a crucial eye. The cargos were a shade darker than he normally wore and the shirt was bluer with dark edges but he'd no time worry of such things. After all, he thought as he retrieved his knapsack, he had homework he'd need to copy if he wanted to elude his teacher's wrat-

The tattoo was glowing.

Drew stopped, hand fisted over the doorknob as he caught sight of himself in the mirror. The white gauze that'd been wrapped tight around his shoulder hummed with a red light that bled through to be viewed by all who observed. Frantic, Drew grabbed the bindings and tore them off -Consequences be damned, his freakin; tat was _Glowing_\- beneath which his tattoo was lit with a scarlet tint, pulsing in rhythm of softer pace than his own speeding heart.

Right…So, School was out the question.

\- \=/ -

Before, Drew only approached the complex with a clear head and sure footsteps, presenting a front of solidness that if not ward at least dissuaded a fair number of undesirables from attempting harm to his person. In his current state, the lad cared little for posturing and instead simply hauled ass up the flights until reaching the appropriate floor and then proceeded to nearly bash the door in, surprising himself long enough for Jayson's irritated and edged voice to register from inside.

"Who da _Fuck _knockin' like that?" It was very nearly a shout and proved sufficient in jarring him from his daze and deliver an articulate response.

"Jayson! Open up! It's me!" Drew bounced nervously from foot to foot, eyes darting to his skin which had started to take a strange tint that only served to stoke the fires of his frantic fears.

The numerous latches were undone in what felt like explicitly slow motion before the door finally opened and Drew shot inside, ignorant of the man's shout of protest before stopping to pace in the living room. Jayson was saying something and from his expression it wasn't anything nice, but Drew was too caught up in himself. In the apparent changes and ambiguity of the lucidness of his mentality before a rough hand shook hard against his shoulder and Drew was drawn back into the world and the sound of Jayson shouting in his ears.

"Calm the hell down! Now tell me What. The Fuck's. Wrong?" He shot a look to his arm and saw that there was no protection around it as instructed and quickly grabbed at it.

Drew froze, feeling Jayson's fingers digging in tight against his still tender flesh, nails scrapping, tugging, _piercing. _It hurt. Jayson was hurting him. He was hurting him and he wanted it to stop. He squirmed and wiggled but whatever margin of strength he'd acquired was insignificant against the man's superior might. He couldn't get away. He wanted to get away. He _needed _to get away. He needed it to stop. Stop. Stop Stop Stop Stop. And suddenly, it did.

Jayson was sent flying, crashing into a wall as something grabbed the back of his head and coolness rested against his throat. His vision cleared of stars and he halted, noticing not only the strange figure clad in black in front of him but also the blade poised dangerously close to his Adam's Apple. He gulped. Drew was position dead center by a trio of the figures, each armed and staring death at the man who'd dared to harm him. It was only as the panic fled and rationality returned that he finally regained enough of his senses to realize what had transpired.

"Stop!" he shouted, all moment ceasing "He was just checking it out! He wasn't trying to hurt me! So just…back off."

Obediently, they complied. Jayson fell to the floor, hacking and coughing as breath was returned to him and Drew swiftly rattled off an apology. "I'm sorry, man. I really am! But this morning, these guys showed and started doing stuff for me and then my ink started glowing and I thought since you gave it to me that maybe you know how to fix it so I was wondering if you could remove it cause I don't want it anymore, no matter how awesome it looks, and I really, really need you to do it now cause I'm missing school and a big test today not to mention my dad'll be super mad if he finds about about any of this so if you could hurry up-"

"get out." Drew paused in his rant, a dubious and nervous brow raised in question

"Get the hell out." Jayson rose, eyes refusing to look at the boy and Drew once more started up on his rant, now even more desperate to have this thing removed so he could get back to his normal, not crazy life.

"I said." Drew took a full step back, eyes wide as he watched Jayson brandish a gun in his direction "Get the _Fuck _outta my house before I splatter your punk ass all over the wall!"

Drew simply stared, mouth working but no words emerging as he attempted to work up another plea. The man cocked the weapon and proceeded to fire. Pain blossomed from his forearm, shooting pain the likes of which he'd never experienced sending a ragged holler from his throat as Jayson's own joined his as his arm was wretched back at an unnatural angle before a truly sickening crunch sounded. Tears staining his eyes, Drew flew out the door, uncaring of anything in his haste to remove himself as far away as possible from that place. That horrible, horrible place.

And then he felt himself sinking.

\- \=/ -

Hours passed since then and Drew sat on a park bench, head held low and hands calmly set upon his lap. He reached up and rubbed a forming teardrop with his now mostly blue hand. His eyes had acquired a crimson shade to replace his normal soft umbra. His hat was gone now, lost after a failed attempt at acquiring lunch after breaching from the cool, yet oddly soothing, pool of darkness had incurred the fury of the targeted establishment's owner. He and his troupe had fled with swiftness, the pilfered fair forgotten along with the cap his father had gifted him with two summers hence. Breathing a breezy breath, he leaned back against the aged oak, letting the silence seep into his sense, drowning his accumulative sorrows.

He couldn't return home, not as he was now. He wasn't Drew Porter anymore but some, some kind of _freak_. Part of him wanted to shoulder Jade with the blame. After all, he'd never have been driven to acquire the tattoo if not for her besting him in their verbal spar. However, despite the roaring voice that raged for her head, screamed out longingly for her blood, Drew was in enough right-of-mind to notice that he himself was also at fault. If his pride hadn't have been so easily wounded, this series of unfortunate events would never have unfolded. Not to mention the voice howling for Jade did so with far more gusto and fury than he'd ever did. Thoughts out a split personality been birthed from this ensuring madness did little to ease his troubled mind.

"_Seems you are in need of a friendly ear." _Drew started, eyes darting to and fro "_I'd be more than happy to offer my own."_

"Who said that?" Drew franticly called for his shadow men/ninja/whatever, but they refused to answer his creed "Who are you?"

"_Why, I did." _The boy's eyes widened as he took in the sight of his shadow, the inky shade flexing and molding until it was long, tall, and wide. Vaguely, he registered the outline of some broad shouldered figure but what caught his eye was the face. Drew's stomach roiled at the striking resemblance between it and his ink: from the shape, to the eyes, and even the sharp, wicked looking fangs. _"And I believe we'll become quite acquainted in the near future, young shade."_

Drew gulped. And to think he thought this morning to be the most queer thing to ever befell him. Well, he suppose it was nice to be wrong from time to time.

This was _not _one of them.

**Author's Notes: **And there you have it folks! We had ShadowKhan!Drew! Yeah, first chapter's just Drew shifting from normal, everyday human 5th grader to not-so-normal, unique ShadowKhan. So, as you people seem wont to do, here are some answers to a question or two you might have.

Drew: The Protagonist: My reason for having Drew as the lead is simple: I like him. Despite how poorly he's portrayed in other stories to be this horrible, awful wretch of a human being, I like him as an overall character. He's a rare example of a character we see, but don't really know all that much about. His entire canon personality seems to be 'Picks on Jade'. And I love when they do that because it gives you freedom to write about that character. My Drew, as depicted by my head canon, is somewhat street smart, snaky, sarcastic, a bit spiteful, and a bit of an attention hog. Conversely, he's also logical, quick-witted, kind-at-heart, protective, and an overall good friend. Just have to stick with him long enough.

ShadowKhan: Assimilation: Because Drew used a simplified mark instead of the whole, genuine article, the effects are mitigated and far weaker than normal. Notice that Drew never has more than six ShadowKhan at any summons and that he only seems to be able to call them out when he needs something. Unlike Queen Jade, he can't just shot 'em like canon fodder. His appearance is another difference. Jade turned blue in a few hours, Drew's been marked for over twelve hours and while he's noticeably bluer, he's got a fair bit of his normal tone in there as well. He's got red iris', but no solid red, demon gaze. And, unlike most incarnations of Jade, doesn't have fangs. Sharper teeth, yes, but no fangs. His strength, speed, and agility are all enhanced, but not to a superhuman degree overall, so basically he's a strong ten-year-old with mostly blue, brown skin with red eyes and sharp teeth. You'll find out why next chapter.

Jade Chan: Queen of All ShadowKhan: Jade will, as expected of something like this, become a primary character shortly. Her role, as will be shown, is something I'm excited about, mainly for the dialogue. This is why her name's in the Character listing even though we didn't see much of her this go round.

Home Tattoo: Done Right: Courtesy of WikiHow!

Man in the Shadows: It is NOT Tarakudo. Drew lost the chance to talk to the big guy when he changed the mark. Who it is should be pretty obvious, though. I mean, there's only so many generals to choose from.

Mythos: Japanese Legends: Expect to see a freakin' lot of that. Part of the reason this might not update all that much is the sheer size of what all I'm trying to draw reference from. I mean, there's a lot of there! Which I why you can expect my Oni to be different…I hope.

P.S. Anyone know how I can get a character added to the list? If you do, PM me.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed, please drop a review and as always, TTFN!


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Notes: **Welcome back everyone! And, as always, I'm surprised at how well-received this concept seems to be amongst the JCA community. I was half-way expecting people to simply out right ignore it since it featured Drew who seems to be the poster boy for bashing amongst the fandom's characters. So anyway, thank you for all the attention you've given this story and I hope to grasp your attention further with this chapter.

_Ni二: _An Indentured Service

When the city awoke, it was to many new changes.

The morning news covered the apparent theft and assault against a local deli store owner who would passionately retell the entire incident with vivid clarity. The apartments on Lakeview and Manchester would be disgruntled as the resident artist lay in a hospital bed after undergoing procedures to mend his twisted arm. A firefighter would rant angrily at a detective, demanding results on the whereabouts of his son. A certain young Chan would sit at her desk only to notice her neighbor conspicuously absent.

And over off in the forgotten reaches of the city, a boy lay on a raggedy mattress staring balefully at a metal can.

After the mysterious stranger had introduced himself as Kaito, he advised him to seek shelter for the night and upon the sun's first light would return to speak with him. A bit of searching had led him to an abandoned factory, the boarded windows and desolate field dissuading those that might seek entry to it. After jimmying a board wide enough for him to slip through, he climbed inside and claimed one of the rooms on the upper floors which thankfully had provided him with a tolerable, if musty, bed for the night.

When morning did finally arrive, it was to the sound of his aching stomach, not pleased with having been left unfed from yesterday. Memories of his last attempt at vying for food encouraged him to look for sustenance within his current dwelling, which had happily provided him with a can of chicken noodle soup still an entire year from it's expiration date. Now, if only he could get the stupid tin can to open.

"Stupid can." he muttered under his breath as he attempted to simply pry it's top off with his bare hands, hoping his transformed strength might prove superior to the metal. When this proved fruitless, he employed aid from his sharpen dentures though they were just as futile. Seems whatever had happened to him had deemed it fit to give him teeth to bite flesh, but not metallurgy.

"_Child, why do you insist on performing this task yourself when you are clearly unable to accomplish it?" _Drew shot a glare at his shadow, which had morphed into the silhouette of the mysterious Kaito _"Would it not be simpler to call for one of your minions, as they are more properly armed to tackle the endeavor?"_

The bluish boy simply stared, eyes blinking twice before he once more summoned one of his ninjas. The man crouched, retrieving the offered can before deftly removing the uppermost layer, spilling nary a drop of condensed stock before presenting it to his master. As Drew accepted, he observed as they bowed and than sank in the shadows and out of sight.

"So," he carefully tilted the can, mindful of the fact that a spoon was not present for him to use reducing him to sipping it as if from a thermos "you were getting to the reason I'm all blue and stuff."

"_Correct." _here the outline shifted, as though settling in for a long conversation _"To begin, what do you know of magic?"_

"That guys in stupid capes and top hats use it scam people out their money." He was rather surprised by the look that overcame the shade "What?"

"_My word," _he sighed, face vanishing as he moved as though to rub his face "_it seems fate is yet again a cruel mistress. As you've proven yourself to be ill-informed, allow me to rectify this with a brief summary of Real Magic."_

"...Okay." Drew rose a curious brow, tilting another swig of soup to his mouth

"_Eons ago, when your kind was still young, the many mystical races reigned supreme. At the time the Earth was fertile, rich with fantastical wonders that stretched to all four corners of the worlds. The dragons soared through the skies, the nymphs frolicked in the waves, and the gods ruled from on high in their shimmering citadels. And on island nation, my kind was born." _

Drew's brows were fully raised now, soup slowly lowered from his lips as he listened raptly to the shade.

"_We were always a middling existence, not helped by the circumstance of our birth which sprang forth from a violent clashing from two of the reigning deities of the era: Amaterasu, Goddess of the Sun and Tsukuyomi, God of the Moon. Tsukuyomi had gone to his sister, seeking amnesty from his past transgression of slaying Uke Mochi, invoking claims of passion and outrage as the reasons for his actions. Furious that he would show his face in her domain to pardon for so grievous an offense, she lashed out at her brother and the resulting battle blotted the sun as Amaterasu's brilliance dimmed beneath her sibling and the world was cast in shade."_

The boy shifted forward, soup forgotten as his attention was kept tightly honed on the tale being weaved in front of him.

"_And it was near it's end, as the Goddess regain the tide of battle that Tsukuyomi, enraged at his impending lost, struck out at his sister and drove his hand through her stomach. The battle ended swiftly after, yet the deed had been done. He had set within her a piece of his own power which lay festering in her innards as it sought creation. Furious at her siblings audacious action, she gathered the thing into a tight ball before vomiting it out to the Earth. And that was how my kind was birthed: The bastard race of two Kami, whose true birth was denied in spite of another. For centuries, they were formless until a wondering minor deity took pity upon them and gave them shape."_

The shade paused as if gathering his thoughts.

"_This was the creation of the first General Ichiro, who crafted from his own shadow the first of the ShadowKhan Tribes. Under his leadership, his tribe thrived mightily, carving out their territory in the mountains. But as his people's number's grew, so too did his loneliness. Yearning for a companion, he scoured the countryside until he happened upon a young maiden in service to a local Yokai Lord. A single glance at her stunning visage and ease of grace and he knew he must have her. Ichiro laid siege to the estate, taking the young maiden and bestowing her a place at his side as his General and gifting her the name Katsumi. And from them the tribes grew vast and numerous, shaping themselves in all manner of ways as our people grew larger and stronger. It was glorious."_

He came to a halt, a look of fondness overcoming him before his shoulders drooped visibly and he frowned.

"_Sadly, it would come to an end all to soon. Before long, strife and conflict between the many tribes arose eventually spiraling into a bloodied and vicious civil war that was only ended when the Nine Tribes united and vanquished their rebellious brethren. For a time, peace reigned and our numbers once more swelled to prosperity and we were content. However..."_

"What?" Drew was hunched now, can placed out of harm's way as inched forward "What happened?"

"_There were those among us that grew...dissatisfied and sought to further improve our might. And it led to our downfall. For centuries, I sat and watched as our kind was fit for nothing more than a tale to frighten young children and minding the orders of those who seeks only to exploit our gifts. But now," _he stopped, gaze firmly planted on Drew who shrunk under their scrutiny _"for the first time in nearly a millennium, I have hope._"

The boy simply looked on, mind stuttering as it assimilated the knowledge suddenly thrust upon him as well as Kaito's last statement.

"Why?" it seemed an innocent enough question while simultaneously gaining the answers he seeked.

"_Because of you." _Well, so much for that.

"Again, why? Heck, why me in the first place? If this is some humongo prophecy thing, why am I in it period? I'm nothing special." Which was true. He didn't possess any of the natural talent and ability that others in his grade had or that Ninja Girl seemed to extrude like some kind of gifted dandruff

"_Precisely." _The confusion of Drew's stare made it clear he wasn't expecting such an answer _"Do you know what made the Generals of my kind so formidable?" _A shake in the negative _"Diversity. Even reduced to Nine our tribes are each unique, varied in our skills yet unified in our purpose. No one tribe is inherently better than another just as no mortal in fundamentally greater than one another. And do you know why this diversity exist?" _Again, a negative shake. _"Because each General since the birth of Ichiro has been created from another being. We are not like other races, able to produce heirs from wombs or flesh and blood. Our race can only further itself from the inclusion of others. It was the way Katsumi was birthed, it was the way I was birthed, and quite soon, shall be how you will be birthed."_

"Wait, what?" Drew may not have been as observant in his classes as he should've, but he knew enough about biology to know things didn't get 'born' twice "How's that even possible?"

"_Such matters will be explained at a later date. As it stands, we have other issues to address such as your willingly indenturing yourself." _Kaito seemed curious of the matter himself, though Drew didn't exactly know why. What he did know was what 'indentured' meant. Thank you Black History Month.

"Whoa, whoa. Hold up." Drew held up his hands to further emphasis his point "Are you saying I signed up for something? Because I didn't." He was sure he'd remember something of that sort-...Oh. "Oh."

"_Indeed." _The shadow nodded, or at least appeared to _"When you graphed the King's seal to your skin, you bound yourself, intentional or not, in service to the King. In times past, you'd be tested on your aptitude for certain arts before being assigned under a General. Afterwards, you'd either enter into the lower ranks as a common Thrall or perform excellently enough to be awarded a higher status." _Here, the shade shifted and widened as if folding its arms _"The one before you showed great promise, though her mind was subjected and overcome with the might of the Mark and drove her to fits of delusional fancy. 'Queen of the ShadowKhan'. Tsk, as if she was worthy of such a mantle. Anko was a far more competent leader and would never make such brash and messy mistakes."_

"...Okay." The fact that someone had done this whole routine before was welcomed knowledge, but he needed to get back to the matter at hand "But what does that have to do with me? You said your race was gone now so how's that my problem?"

"_It concerns you," _And whoa, when did it drop a whole twenty degrees in here? And why did Kaito look decidedly more pissed than before? _"because you are now tied to our people, no matter how loosely. And there are forces in this world that would sooner see you destroyed than allow you the freedom to roam freely. And more to the point, we need you to-"_

"Need me whaaah?!" Drew's query turned into a shriek of terror as his shadow pooled and tendrils of solid darkness grasped him snugly. With a tug, he gave a final scream as he was hauled in to depths of the nothingness before everything faded to black.

\- \=/ -

The prison kitchen had seen many things in its lifetime, but what was about to transpire easily took the cake.

"This had better work, wizard." The inmate that spoke was an intimidating fellow, easily dwarfing most common man in size, a fact he was quick to make known as he rolled his shoulder causing years of hard-earned muscle to shift powerfully

"It shall." This time, the voice had come from a much smaller, frailer inmate who's gnarled hands were spread wide over a cauldron, wickedly long nails curving inwards as his mismatched eyes shone in the reflected emerald goop "I may be disenchanted, but I am not without a few tricks up my sleeve."

"Oh, oh! Can you pull a rabbit out of them? I'd like something to cuddle while I wait for my appeal to go through." The third voice was rough but giddy with childish excitement over the idea of owning such an adorable thing, his red eyes shining brightly

"It's a figure of speech, Ratso." It was followed by a light smacking and the red haired, long nosed man leaned against the counter with a easy stance "Besides, we're about to cash in our 'Get out of jail free' card, right Wong?"

"Indeed, now silence. I must concentrate." His eyes slid closed and he waved his hands over the pot, stirring the mystic powers that misted about until they formed a solid connection and firmly pulled the presence he sought to his side. The liquid's surface wrinkled before the container shook and its caster gave a wary look of alarm before it frothed and then preceded to explode like a child's science project.

"Ah, man! It's in my mouth!" Chow hollered, sputtering the captured fluid at the floor.

Daolon wiped his face with his sleeve, wondering why his spell had so violently misfired when he caught sight of a figure hunched on the floor. They were colored mostly blue with hints of darker shades with hair cut close to the scalp as well as cloths one might find on the youth of today. Curious, but not deterred by the twist of events, he nodded for Hak Foo to secure the boy.

"Ugh." Drew moaned, his stomach doing backflips with angry butterflies as his head pounded incessantly "What hit me-Umph!"

His legs kicked air, swinging at nothing as he sought desperately to escape from the restrains he found himself in. Looking around, he saw a motley set of men all dressed in bright orange jumpsuits and a glancing above showed that he was currently being held by a massive, red haired man. He struggled fiercely in his grip trying to escape but found his bonds too strong to yield to his meager strength.

"Hey! Let me go, you big, stupid ape! Help!" He looked down at his shadow, only to find it distressingly blank "Somebody, help me!"

The old guy smiled, stepping forward easily before he suddenly crumbled as a fist impacted his stomach. His captor too was struck, releasing him into the waiting arms of a ninja who quickly backed from the ensuing fight. Drew racked his brain, trying to think of some way out of here when his escort evaporated into dust. Falling to his rear, he let out a small 'ommp!' of pain before looking up and letting his eyes widen with shock. The large red haired man was a blur, knocking his guys off their feet as he loudly and vicious attacked from an inconceivable amount of angles.

"Rhino Crushes Eggshell!" He barreled forward, shoulder digging into the ninja's diaphragm and slamming them into the edge of the counter where they disappeared with a soft poof. Drew scurried backwards as he realized he was once again alone with these people and desperately called for their aid again. Only none came and the attempt did nothing but cause his vision to blur and his world to spiral as darkness danced at the edge of his sight. When it finally returned, he was once more in restrains, only now there was numbness spreading from the top of his head to the tips of his toes.

"As I was saying before being rudely interrupted," Drew was thankfully able to move his eyes which then became fearful as they beheld the eyes of the short, old man "I have summoned you to free us from this place so that we might return to our work. I understand calling you from your was sudden and you are disorient-"

"As if I'm helping you jerkwads after you tied me up twice!" Okay the first time he'd been held, but that wasn't the point! "And what makes you think I'm gonna help you bust outta jail!?"

He would've protested more but streaks of pain gripped his body, enveloping him in raw agony as he let loose a howl in anguish. After a moment, it fled and he sloughed forward, breaths escaping in harsh, heavy gasps. This time when the man spoke, it was with a harsh edge.

"I believe that is the reason, or do enjoy being subjected to bursts of Good Chi?" In his hands, he held a rock which he squeezed, air leaving him once more as he hollered "Now then, you _will _aid in our escape or I shall make you regret the decision for the rest of your short life. Now, will you cooperate?"

"Um, he kinda has too. Ya know, with you using that shock rock and everything." Drew rolled his eyes in the man's direction. Thank you, Captain Obvious.

As it turned out, getting out of a maximum security prison was far easier than movies and video games had made it seem. Granted, he had shadow-walking ninja that were several times more skilled than ordinary humans but, he thought it would've been a harder obstacle to overcome. As it was, all it took was knocking out the right guards, at the right time, and opening the right gates to see them step out once more into the green grass and blue sky. As three of the group raced off into the open basking in the freedom, the old man and tall, muscled bruiser simply looked at him in expectation. With a grudging muttering of various swears, he followed in step behind them.

-\=/-

After distancing themselves as far from the correctional facility as possible, they stopped to rest at one of the motel the nearest towns had to offer. As the three Enforcers shared a bed in a huddled pile, Daolong Wong the other, and Hak Foo took to the floor on his side, Drew was currently fuming as he glared through the slit of the grate.

They'd locked him in a closet and covered in with weird paper things that shocked him something awful whenever he tried to escape. His ninja wouldn't come and trying that whole sinking deal that they did proved just as useless. As he sat there and sulked, he was thoroughly surprised when the shadow casted on the near wall sudden trembled and spoke.

"_Child." _The boy squeaked before slapping a hand firmly against his mouth. Making sure that on one had stirred from outburst he leaned forward and hissed "Where were you?"

"_The same place I always am, in the shadows." _When he received an unimpressed look, he sighed _"When you were called, I severed our connection to prevent myself from being revealed. Such revelations would be disadvantageous at our current juncture."_

"Okay, first off: stop using all those complicated words. I'm still in fifth grade." Drew would need a dictionary for half the words this guy said at this rate "Second: Why don't you have eyes or a mouth?"

"_The wards sealing you within this room and disrupting your connection with what limited powers you have is also preventing me from manifesting completely. As it stands, even this state drains me considerably. Which is why I must speak to you of an important matter." _The boy made a 'hurry it up then' motion _"Whatever the Wizard has in store for you is nothing good. Disenchanted he may be but the knowledge he still possesses makes him more than a match for you in your present state. As such, I advise you do as your told only until an escape present itself, then you vacate to as far a location as possible."_

"Seriously? That's your advice?" Drew asked, barely able to keep his voice down "Even _I _could've come up with that! What about how all this crap concerns me? Or this birth-rebirth gibberish you were spouting?"

"_My apologies, young shade." _Kaito's voice wavered, the shadow shaking in uncertainty _"But it seems my strength nears its end. Remember what I have said and I shall contact you once you have freed yourself."_

With that, the voice faded and Drew was once more left alone on the floor of the closet. He leaned sullenly against the wall, a scowl on his face.

"Stupid shadow-creature-general-thing."

-\=/-

"Come, Sapling." the old man strove on, as his most competent aid beckoned the youth faster "Our journey nears it's end."

Drew was not a happy camper. Why, you might ask?

Because he was on a leash.

A frickin' leash. At the very least it wasn't a collar which would've signified him as barely that of some common mutt, but somehow the harness tugged just as painfully as the red haired mercenary yanked again, sending his next three steps off balance and nearly causing him to tumble to the ground. They were still a bit wary that he might simply remove the seal placed on him or move out of the trigger's area of effect, so they opted for a way to keep him on a leash: literally. In the back of his mind, a part of him that was stirred on by the foreign power coursing through him howled for these bastards blood.

"Whoa." But such thoughts were soon forgotten as they entered the mouth of what had to be the biggest, most cavernous space Drew had ever seen.

The ceiling stretched higher than he thought would've been allowed and floor was covered by a garden of dark, twinkling crystals that led to a stupefying grand pillar that rose to the roof and jutted with massive cliffs of gemstone. As they walked, Drew caught his reflection in one of the tremendous stones only to recoil as the reflection distorted and warped into a twisted facsimile.

"Ah, the Caves of Somber Ambition." Daolong paused, breathing deep before letting out his breath in a pleased sigh "I remember when I first came her as a young ward, fresh from killing my master. Here, the epicenter of all Dark Forces of the world, is where I first bathed in the Eternal Spring and truly became a Dark Wizard. Ah, should fond memories."

Well, aside from thinking that the man was several pieces short of a system, Drew thought little of what he said or spouted as he was constantly on the look out for various opportune escape routes should his captors let their guard down long enough for him to slip away. So occupied was his attention that when they finally came to a stop, he nearly ran into the mercenary's leg. He thought that they had finally reached their destination.

"How?!" the old man screeched "How could you possibly know we were here?!"

"'Uncle has his ways. And Uncle cannot allow Daolong Wong to regain magic!" A new voice said that was heavily peppered with an Asian accent

Well...Drew wasn't expecting that.

He peered from behind the man's leg to behold a sight that caused his heart to skip a beat. There, right in front of him, was another old man with grey, spiked hair and glasses wielding a lizard and puffer-fish, an unbelievably huge man cracking his knuckles, a modest looked man wearing a weary expression. And perhaps the most surprising of all: Jade Chan marching forward with a cocky and determined smile.

"Long time, no see, boys. Let me guess, you got out on good behavior?" It was clear she didn't believe such a statement for a second, voicing it simply to goad the actually answer from them.

"Enough of this." The old man said, cutting off one of the others as they made to ask "Boy! Summon your aids."

A tug brought him forward, his feet catching under him and nearly sending him crashing but for the grace of the leash. He heard gasps from the opposite party as well as the old man urging, but he was still far to occupied with his own shock to register anything else. At least, until the shock came and a scream ripped from his throat. More cries filled the air, some of alarm and others outrage, but Drew ignored them as he urgently called forth his ninja, six emerging from his shadow and leaping into action. His handler joined the fray with a mighty leap as the rest rushed forward as well. Drew didn't bother to move, still reeling from the pain and barely realized he was being moved until he heard familiar muttering in his ears.

"Stupid wrinkly old man...doing this to Drew...may be jerkwad but he isn't _that _bad...guy's put on weight..." Drew decided to take offense to the last comment

"Have...not." That made his crutch halt, taking in his consciousness with a look of awe before hurriedly scampering a few more feet and depositing him against one of the massive gemstones.

"Drew? You awake? Come on, don't pass out on me. I'm no good when people pass out." Drew forced his eyes wider, taking in the girls flustered face which relaxed as he looked at her "You awake? Great, stay that way. Don't worry, we'll get you out of here. And Uncle'll fix whatever Nine Inch Nails did to you and we can get you back home-"

"He didn't...do this." Sentences were coming easier as his body stopped aching and feeling returned to his limbs "I kinda...screwed up."

"Huh?" Jade gave him a confounded look "But-but...how? How'd this even happen? What'd you do, get hit by some weird spell or something?"

"Or something." Here, he rolled up his sleeve to allow the glowing ink on his shoulder to be seen and found the strength to move his lips to a grin "Your not the only one you can get a real tattoo, Jade."

It was petty. Extremely so, given the current circumstance made even moreso as one of his captors went sailing into a crystal to impact with a resounding smack. Jade had flinched harshly before her muscles coiled and her expression grew stormy.

"Seriously?" The word was nearly snarled and Drew scooted back further against the hard support "Seriously, Drew? You get kidnapped by a psychotic midget, the Three Stooges, and Mister Shouts-His-Attacks, all because I said you didn't get a real tattoo? How stupid are you!? Even if you _did _get a real one, it could've been anything! But noo, you had to get the _exact, same one _I did. And look what happened! Of all the stupid things, Drew..."

But he wasn't listening anymore. Sure, some of what Jade said was true but he didn't have time to address her or anything else for that matter. The two old men were having it out, his chucking paper and Jade's relation hurtling beams of green energy from the mouth of the petrified fauna, the large merc was dealing with her uncle, and the rest of the rabble was doing a poor job against the insanely large man. His ninja were nowhere to be seen, taken out handily earlier he'd bet. However, he couldn't dwell on such thing. His opportunity had presented itself. And he took it.

He easily phased out Jade's startled 'Hey!' and quickly made his way down the sloping path, ducking towards one of the many gemstone cliffs. Another shout sounded and was quickly followed by blistering pain that tore brutally through him, driving him to his knees as he let loose a howl of agony. Jade's relative uttered a word he didn't understand and shot forth another green laser, obliterating the stone upon impact. What he didn't know, was that Daolong had warded it against such happenings and had measures for should an even come to pass. Which is why as the last bits of it fell to the floor, Drew gave one last scream before his world was nothing but pain and bright light.

The ensuing explosion sent a wave of power through the crystal structure, fragmenting several large sections that crumbled as shards upon those inside. Jackie, quickly ducking in and around Hak Foo's guard, scooped up his niece and hightailed it for the exit, uttering 'Bad Day, Bad Day, Bad Day' under his breath. Jade paid no heed to it; she was focused solely on the billowing smoke from where her classmate and the closest thing she'd had to a friend her age had been.

**Author's Notes: **Yay! I made a cliffhanger! Aren't I just a stinker? Anyway, this chapter was going to be far, far longer as was the next, but I decided to split the whole thing into halves so I could get things in order of how I wanted them. So, let's get to the questions, shall we.

**Drew: Inept ShadowKhan Warrior: **Drew isn't all that bad at being a ShadowKhan: He just isn't suited for it. Drew was meant to be something else and the whole caught between state he's in right now is testament to that. Don't worry, we will get to that part and soon.

**Kaito: Shinobi General: **Yes, Kaito (name used with permission from Eduard Kassel) is the Shinobi General. However, unlike other ShadowKhan Generals as they're portrayed in other stories, he isn't all that bad. Next chapter is testement to this.

**Morality: It's not all Black and White: **I hate, hate, _hate _Good vs. Evil morality. The only thing I hate more is when people make an entire race inherently evil/good. No one, no matter where there from, starts out like that. Sure, some might be more susceptible to certain ways of thinking, but I personally don't like races as all Bad or all Good. It's just not realistic to me. Plus, it's kinda lazy and is the stuff usually seen in kid stuff. In this story (actually, it's kinda a theme in all my stories) the supposed Great Evil isn't all that bad. At least, not inherently.

**ShadowKhan: Creation Mythos: **Inspired in part by the birth of the Japanese deity Amanozako, said to be formed from when Susanoo's ferocious spirit built inside him and he vomited her out. Also by the solar eclipse phenomenon that occurs in nature. I was going to do something more with the whole 'casting the world in shadow' thing, but decided against it. Ichiro means 'first born' and is a pretty generic name but fit his role for his people. Katsumi means 'Victorious Beauty' and was named such as she led them to many victories in battle. As for the whole civil war thing, it's my explanation for why there's only nine tribes of ShadowKhan when there use to be several dozens. We'll come back to that, but for now, that's all.

**Chan Clan: **The good guys are in this story and yes, we will be seeing more of them in near future.

Well, that's all for now. TTFN!


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Notes: **Holy crap. I just want to go on record and say that I've been getting ready for college and things have been pretty hectic. Now then, onwards, to the fic!

_San__三__:_The Education of Empire Building

Darkness.

He'd no idea when he'd arrive in this featureless void, only that whatever it was had taken the pain from excruciating to just bad. A steady pulse of aching, phantom agony throbbed in his back, curling to his shoulders and along the underside of his arms. Whatever had hit him had hurt and even this blissful emptiness couldn't rid him of such injury. A sigh slipped from tired lips, a gentle nudging shifting him in his motionless sprawl and he slowly moved higher into the...air? He wasn't sure there was any air, or sky, or ground. Just space. When whatever force had finally decided to slow, it was only lift him higher into the void before he sank into a murky view as his vision once more faded.

-\=/-

The alley had seen it's fair of weirdness over the years, but this was the first time it'd played host to such a queer event. Under the guiding gaze of its fluorescent lighting, a pin prick of darkness sprang forth. This alone was curious enough, a shadow appearing where there was nothing to give one off. Then slowly, it bloomed like a budding flower, spreading out like a lazy leak as it soon grew large enough to encompass almost the entirety of the light. Then, it bugled, gaining a third dimension as something rose from its center and was hauled into the world before finally depositing the load and shrinking once more out of sight.

Slowly, ever cautious of the weight in his aching limbs, Drew rose to his knees with an exhausted groan. Spots danced in his vision, darkness of the uncomforting sort creeping at the edge as he swayed rhythmically from side to side. He felt tired, more than that in fact and movement told a tale of tender flesh and sore muscles.

"Geez," the word came from a parched throat and burned hot against chapped lips "what hit me."

_"An explosion." _The young boy turned his head with fleeting vigor, strength so poor that even being startled expended far too much energy _"The tag strapped to your back was inscribed with a failsafe that would activate upon the destruction of the trigger. As it were, it resulted in a conflagration of volatile Good Chi that quite nearly destroyed you utterly had I not intervened. I used a considerable amount of my energy to drag you into the Shadow Realm not a moment too soon as even second's delay would have seen to your demise."_

Drew heard the words. His brain processed them with the slow grind of gears that banged and rattled with the grease of activity to fuel them. After what felt like hours, his mind finally finished assimilating the knowledge and boy let out a small whoosh of air in lieu of actual comment. This did not meant the meaning of such an event was lost on him. No, he knew how terrifyingly close he'd been to death but couldn't find energy to be horrified or alarmed. Seeing such, Kaito shifted in the shadow, giving the boy a knowing look.

_"I realize you are weary from such an event. But, due to the nature of your Mark and it's incompleteness, you are still drifting being Humanity and Oni. The Shade returned much of you to sufficient condition, but there are things it cannot fix. At least, for one such as yourself. But you are well and in one piece, that is all that matters. Rest, young shade. We shall talk at a later date."_

Drew didn't catch the last of those words as he'd already fallen face first onto the pavement, mind pulled back into the soothing abyss of sleep.

-\=/-

It was three days and more nights before he'd regained enough of his might to once more hold conscious thought and not stumble around like a newborn. Now, he only shambled around like a drunkard, body still unusually heavy and arms sore, the skin beneath raw pink with angry healing welts that begged to be relieved but punished with more burning should he give in to such demands. With a decidedly tired grunt, he fell to the floor of the attic of the old, Gothic-style house. He'd been too paranoid to go back to San Fran -Too many memories. His dad was probably having a fit right now, looking for him. But its not like he could go back. He was a freak now and freaks don't get to go home- so he had opted to another locale. Washington was wet, humid, and dour but at least it had plenty of empty neighborhoods to crash in.

"_Are you well enough to talk?" _Kaito appeared once more from his shadow, a look of expectancy and concern in the eyes

"Yeah." Drew wearily cracked his neck, the vertebrae popping in chorus as he grunted in mild discomfort "I'm good. So, what's on the agenda?"

"_Well, now that you are no longer in the throes of being abducted or spontaneously exploding," _Drew groaned; Kaito seemed to think he had a sense of humor. Unfortunately, it was of black sort. _"I suppose I shall now thoroughly explain you situation."_

He cleared his throat and Drew popped the top of canned apple juice -Really, you canned juice? Just weird.- and took a swig, content with the cool sweetness rushing down his throat.

"_As I've said, my people are Inclusionists: To grow, we must bring in others and then convert them to our kind or at least our way of thinking. To do so, a ritual must be performed under strict conditions at the completion of which a new member is born. This is how you shall be birthed, young shade. However, before that happens, there are things I believe you should first know before your Inclusion."_

"Like?" Drew knocked back the last of the drink, chucking behind him where a ninja deftly caught it and another drink landed in his outstretched palm

"_You shall be the leader of our people. Or at the very least a key player in the happenings to follow. Therefore, it would be best if you learn the proper ways to successfully rule an empire. And I advise you to begin soon, young shade."_

"But why me?" Drew slammed the can down with as much force as he could muster -which in his current state wasn't much- "Why am I so important?"

"_Because you are young." _Drew gave a blank look _"The ritual that creates our kind does so by stripping them of their former selves and then shrouding them in a womb which is saturated in their own Chi. The process has a major risk, however: To even survive to the womb one must have enough Chi accessible to endure the stripping. Youngsters have a natural abundance of Chi from which to draw power. Adults almost always perish save an extraordinary few. Even our King was Included at the age of thirteen winters."_

"So, cause I'm a kid, I've a pretty good shot at surviving this...whatever it is?" Drew hid his wince as spoke. The prospect of dying before even reaching the end didn't exactly enthrall him to the idea of committing such an act.

"_Indeed." _The shadow bobbed, as if to nod in agreement _"Still, such a time is still some time away. For now, you need to seek aid in building your knowledge of how to run an empire."_

"Hmm," Drew sat back, reclining carefully on his palm as he thought on the dilemma. How did you go about building an empire?

-\=/-

As it turns out, the internet had already answered the question multiple times already.

Sneaking into one of the public libraries and logging in with a 'borrowed' library card, Drew perused the various online sites for information. A few dozen sites later and had cobbled together a mostly coherent foundation. First things first: he needed a base from which to govern his assesses once he'd accumulated a few. Well, seeing as he was a ten-year-old in the United States with no contactable relatives -no way he was dragging his family into this mess- or other meaningful connections as to grant him some form of legality, buying anything officially was out of the question. Instead, he decided to put his guys to work renovating his current dwelling.

"It'll work for now." He explained to Kaito as he tip-toed to reach the top shelf with his duster "It kinda has to."

_"Do not feel ashamed, young shade." _The shadow moved their head, taking in the slow restoration of the house _"I have lived in _far _worse accommodations. Why, once revived I daresay it has the potential to be a spectacular lodging."_

With a base now in the works, he could work on step two: acquiring resources. Which is where he hit a snag. It wasn't for his lack of planning, oh no. He'd already laid out a fairly detailed plan involving his ninja sneaking into some homes and businesses and procuring things of value. Nothing big, mind you. Stealing a Plasma TV or some priceless jewel was not only cliché, but also begging to drawn the attention of the local law or even some underground kingpin -Shut up, it could happen.- As such, he made sure to keep his thievery to small stuff: wrist watches, china plates, video games, DVDs, etc. Inconsequential things that could be blamed on forgetfulness and easily replaced. Of course, due to the nature of the items he liberated plus the fact that he only had six guys to work with and keeping them out none stop wore him off after not long, Drew knew he wasn't becoming the next Rockefeller overnight. Plus, he felt as though the General would disapprove of his methods.

Surprisingly, he was wrong.

_"I'm impressed, young shade." _The shadow was all teeth now, the display unsettling the boy a bit _"Indeed, most would lust after such ripe bounties despite the risk, attempting to amass a fortune in swift order. But such hastily executed actions lead to mistakes, which more often than not lead to ruin. Your decision to take only that which would is easily forgotten shows an apt diligence and patience as well as wisdom beyond your years."_

Drew didn't really know what to say to that but accepted the praise nonetheless. As the nights and days grew on, he noticed with frustrated reluctance that the slow, methodic pace he'd set for himself didn't lend itself to rapid progress. They were nearing the third week of his Step Two and he'd only managed to restore most of his bedroom, some of the downstairs hall, part of the kitchen, a bit of the living room, and a corner of the bathroom. The good news, that corner included the toilet. Bad news, that didn't mean it worked. He didn't know all that much about indoor plumbing and his guys couldn't fix it because he didn't know how to fix it. In fact, the bathroom was only the first of many complications that arose when restoring the house: the wiring was faulty, the floorboards creaked, shuddered and occasionally snapped underfoot, and the ventilation was filled with god-only-knows how must rust, dust, mildew and dozens of creeping critters.

On the flip side, his nighttime snatches had been tapering off as he had worked his way through the closest neighborhoods and had now reached the limits of his range. To go forward required moving himself to the general vicinity but in doing so exposed him to any threat that might happen by while his ninja were busy with their rounds. True, he was pretty sure that it just his paranoia acting up -Completely justified since that Wong guy snatched him up out of the blue- but Kaito hadn't knocked him for it. Heck, he _encouraged _him to be more paranoid.

_"Paranoia only applies when the enemy is _not _out to get you." _He'd told him sagely

But the facts remained clear: He wasn't getting any further in his plans as things were now. Time for step 2 and a half: Acquire Allies.

-\=/-

The forests of the North were restless this night.

This was the thought that arrive unbidden in the small creature's head. He was dressed warmly, deep maroon turtleneck nestled beneath a wooly waist-coat of some indigenous game. He leaned back against his perch, high atop a towering pine that was sprinkled with moist dew turned icy against the chilly nocturne air. His hands wandered to his pockets, drawing out a simply craved wooden pipe. The craftsmanship was clearly amateur and the design crudely archaic but it brought a smile to his face regardless. Filling the bowl with his choice blend, he lit it was a harsh stroke of flint and then he drew a long drag and held it before releasing it into the night. His unoccupied hand slid over his pointed ears and cushioned his head against the rough bark.

It'd been over a century seen he'd been able to indulge in this particular vice. The Big Guy had been adamant about his workers maintaining a jubilant and innocent atmosphere, one that could not exist in the presence of any inappropriate habits. He frowned, thinking of how pointless he thought the rule seeing as their work got done regardless. It's not as if any of them didn't know the purpose of why they were there, of why they'd chosen to set shop there or the importance of their work. -Not that you weren't reminded every ten minutes as He personally made his rounds or by one of the many motivational posters plastered everywhere- He'd been happy those few decades, content to simply man his station and see to his task. However, that wore thin after awhile and soon he found himself requesting a more prominent, active role which is how he was put on security detail.

Yet, even the prestigious position of guarding one of the most cherished figures in the world hadn't been enough to stifle his disgruntlement. He'd hadn't truly felt pleasure in his job for quite some time. That is, until the Big Guy was kidnapped by the wrinkled, old croon. Being able to actually put his skills to use after just an extended period of inactivity had been...exhilarating. Even warping to the Chan residence and hastily assigning the sumo as a fill-in Santa had been eventful and a worthwhile distraction from the routine of an otherwise un-noteworthy Eve. It had been this event that had finally given him the drive he needed to finally turn in his resignation. The Big Guy was sad to see him go, but wished him safe travels and many more years.

Now, out here in the wilderness not unlike that which he'd grown up in, he finally gained some measure of satisfaction back in his otherwise dreary life. But still, even now, he felt as though there was something missing in his life. Some great, grand thing he was seeking yet had failed to find.

"Chief!" A voice screamed below and any further introspection dissipated as keen instincts took over.

He quickly slid from his perch, vaulting from branch to branch in an expert dash before landing a scant few feet away from a small, gangly teenaged elf in sparse robes wrapped in a heavy coat. Striding forward, the youth clamored to his side and quickly started rambling off the cause for his intrusion.

"We were in the square, fixing up the fire pit for later tonight, when all of a sudden these weird people looking things popped up from the shadows and -"

"Popped up from the shadows?" He halted, pinning the lad with a look "Was anyone else with them?"

'Yeah, some guy came from another shadow and said he wanted to speak with our leader and that's when I volunteered to come get you and-"

"Come on." His boots pounded against forest floor, leaves and pinecones crunching underneath "We shouldn't keep him waiting."

As they raced back to camp, he could feel the blood pounding in his ears, pulse beating steadily faster as he tried to organize his thoughts. Shadows meant darkness which meant Dark Wizard which meant that the entire clan could be at risk if they did anything that might inadvertently set the man off. These elves might've been largely uncultured with only a basic understanding of the fine intricacies of their innate gifts but they were _His _elves dammit and he was going to keep them safe.

Upon arriving in the large, uneven circle that pasted for their village square, he notice three things. The first were the presence of the aforementioned shadow people. They were dressed bizarrely, like the ninja toys he remembered making on a few off occasions, with blue skin and glowing red eyes. The second were the elves all huddled together in a shaking, wary mass and dressed in the patchwork, heavy clothes they crafted before they took in the sight of him and visibly relaxed. The third, and that which had firmly grasped his attention, was the small, bluish child standing in front him with folded arms.

"About time." he said, breath misting in front of him and his hands sought heat in friction as they rubbed along his arms "Do you have any idea how long _cold _it is out here?"

"We've noticed." He kept his voice level, even though his poker face threatened to break as the corners of his mouth twitched "What do you want, kid? Kinda hard to believe some Dark Wizard-in-Training came all this way just for small talk."

"True and for the record, I'm _not _a Dark Wizard." The word was simply spat, no it was dragged out through sharpened clenched teeth and along with the vibrating, balled fists told him that the kid held no love for the mystics.

"So what _do _you want?" Though tempted to ask 'What are you?' instead, the shadow ninjas' narrowing gaze erred him towards caution. And he was legitimately curious.

"Ahem," He coughed into his fist, drawing his posture ramrod straight, squaring his shoulders and puffing his chest slightly "well. I have a proposition for you."

"Really?" His lips were quirking more, the sight of the kid trying his hardest to look grown-up proving more amusing than anticipated "And what would that be?"

"I would like you and your gang- I mean crew- Crap, I mean race..._Then what am I supposed ta call 'em?!..._Ahem. I would you and the members of your people to come with me back to myself settlement and aid in its construction. In exchange for your services, you'll be offered provisions, shelter, and protection from my own people. Is this satisfactory?"

Well, asides from the fact that the kid had to be reading from some kind of script as there was no way he was that well-spoken seeing how he talked earlier and he stumbled through more than half of it but regardless, he was interested now. "...Got a contract?"

His fingers snapped and a ninja suddenly appeared before him, brandishing a rolled up scroll that upon inspection proved to be several pages linked together with tape with the conditions and terms of agreements scrawled out in slightly sloppy hand writing. After skimming the document for any unfair clauses , outrageous demands, and loopholes that would allow for mistreatment he finally lowered the makeshift scroll and looked the young man in the eye.

"Well?" he asked after a time, fidgeting under his gaze and the ninja retreated slowly into a protective circle.

He pondered the matter. On the one hand, this meant indenturing themselves to some no-name, not-a-Dark-Wizard child whose motives for recruiting them were unclear which led to suspicion of their actions. The contract, while not insensible, made it quite clear that they were the inferiors in this partnership, Omega to their Alpha with a policy that while didn't demanded unflinching loyalty did require a very staunch commitment to follow their lead to the best of their abilities. He wasn't stupid. He knew that should he sign, it was every bit as good as signing them over to his old boss, only without some of the more cushy benefits.

On the other hand, this meant a chance for a new start for his clan. Again, he wasn't stupid. He knew that his people were the elfin equivalent to rural Amish to put things nicely and trailer trash to put it not so. Their skills for their innate gifts were pale imitations of what those of larger and proper clans were capable of. Their hands, while nimble, stumbled drunkenly over stitches and hacked through wood without any of the subtle grace he knew them capable of. They couldn't even perform the basic spell which kept the cold from biting their senses, an enchantment he'd learned when he was little more than a tot. But if he agreed, they be in civilization, surrounded by modern tools and technology. With such resources at his disposal perhaps he could finally lift them up from this pitiful squalor.

"Soooo..." The voice snapped him out of his musings and he watched the boy briskly rub his arms once more "...is that a yes or a no?"

He blinked at the boy once, twice, and the produced a pen with a flick of his wrist. Ignoring the gasps of awe his people showed at the display and kid's wide-eyed stare, he quickly penned his signature to the dotted line. The ninja re-rolled the makeshift scroll and the boy gave a relieved smile as he untangled his limps and extended his hand.

"Welcome aboard. Name's Drew. Drew Porter." And after a moment of study, he reached forward and grasped it firmly

"Jebediah."

-\=/-

The first thing Jeb, his new Head Architect, had said upon arriving at their new home was that it sucked. Drew had huffed and shot him a look with red eyes that had the rest of his clan scooting backwards; He remained rooted to the spot, unflinching. With a sigh, he told him to go and look around, find out what all was wrong with the house and what needed fixing. After inspecting the house, Jeb told him that he stood corrected: The house _goddamn _sucked. His eye twitched for awhile afterwards, but calmed down long enough to set about issuing orders.

Contrary to what Jeb was expecting, Drew didn't ask him to start work on the house. Instead, he told him to start fixing the surrounding houses. The elves needed a place to sleep, after all, and his house simply too small for the entire clan of pointy eared creatures. Soon after, the young Oni-to-be thanked his deity several times over for the fact that the neighborhood they lived in was several miles away from the next. Otherwise, they'd might be inquisitive about the sounds of construction coming from what was supposedly an abandoned plot.

While his newly acquired allies were busy repairing the despaired domes around him, Drew took the time to begin rebuilding his own abode. With help from Jeb and a few of his more talented hands, the once shabby hovel was slowly returned to service. Lights flickered on after years of darkness, floorboard held fast beneath even cumbersome weight, and warm, soothing air pumped unhindered throughout the house. And, most importantly, the pipes had been replaced and the water main repair and for the first time and in nearly two months, Drew Porter used the toilet instead of simply squatting outside.

It during the second day of basking in the awesomeness that was modern standard of living that one of the elves, a scrawny looking teenager named Renault, had approached him on his porch as he oversaw the restoration of another Victorian-Era standard. He'd been talking a mile a minute -which explained why his nickname was Jabber- and shifting from foot to foot before Jeb, who'd been checking over one of the new pipes to replace the rusted ones, smacked him on the back of the head and told him to get on with it. With a gulp, he stilled his frantic energy and thrust his hands out where lay a small, simply carved charm. While nothing particularly spectacular leapt out about the round pendent, he knew from the hopeful gleam in Jabber's eye and the measuring look in Jeb's that it'd meant more than they were saying.

"It's nice." he said and slipped it round his neck, the trinket to the middle of his chest "Thanks."

"I'm glad you like it!" Jabber shouted and Drew winced at the volume even as he plowed ahead with gusto "It's my way of saying thanks for taking us in, even though we're just some no-name clan out in the sticks. I used to think that we'd never amount to much, out there, all deep in the forest, nothing but trees and rocks and trees forever and ever. But then Jebediah showed up and he started helping up get better at making stuff and taught us how to knit and sew and build and I thought that we'd finally found our break! And then you showed up and you brought us here with the space and safety and all the fancy whatchamacallits and doohickeys and I just knew, just knew that this. This was our big break. This was what was gonna finally make us a real clan! So's I just wanted to thank you for all you've done and hope to keep doing good work. Well, I should go, my break's over. Bye!"

As Jabber happily strolled off to aid his fellows in reviving a ransacked shed, Drew sat motionless as his eyes simply stared at the pendent around his neck. Up until that moment, up until Jabber had rattled off that entire speech, he never really guessed at the importance of his work. He always just assumed that the elves were just doing what he asked them to. He never really considered the fact that they were eager to help in his work, to help him bring his-soon-to-be forgotten race back to prominence. He never truly thought about how they felt about all this either. And from what Jabber had said, they were...happy. And then another thought occurred to him: He was responsible for these people. He was responsible for the welfare of an entire clan plus the future of an endangered people.

It was only after Jeb forcibly whacked him over the head with a wooden stick that he realized he was having a panic attack. After he managed to calm himself, he placed a hand on his chest where he grasp the trinket and held it up, studying in greater detail than before as a warm smile appeared on his face which swiftly became a grin as a new idea sprouted in his mind.

-\=/-

"_It is time."_

Drew exhaled the breath he'd been holding and rolled his shoulders as he rose from his spot on the floor where was previously sat in thought.

"I know."

And he did. From the very beginning, ever since Kaito had told him of the risk involved in rebirthing himself into their race, he knew that when the time came, he'd need to make a decision. Back then, his mind and body had been in agreement and had sought ways to avoid ever getting involved in the ritual. After all, he was ten. He had his entire life ahead of him, even as a blue tinted freaked, he could still make a life for himself. Sure, it was almost guaranteed to be either on the road as a carnie or perhaps some thug or muscle for some larger organization but at least he would be free to make his own choices. The General had made it abundantly clear that should he agree, he'd have the future of an entire race on his shoulders. It never really hit home how massive that weight was until he enlisted the elves and even then, Jeb was their leader.

Drew wasn't quite vain enough to deny how scared all that responsible made him. It made looking after the class pet for the weekend look...infinitely insignificant in comparison. But ever since Jabber had given him that charm and he started to pay valid attention to Kaito's teachings, the part of him that had decried ever involving themselves in their plight had grown steadily silent until it was barely more than a fleeting thought. The part of him that his dad always encouraged, the compassionate empathy he'd shown had gradually wormed its way into his the cracks of his cynicism until he started caring for his circumstances as more than just going through the motions and some prolonged, fantastical fever dream. The answer, which he'd never voiced aloud, had changed since he'd first made it.

He was still scared, obviously. He was going into completely uncharted territory and had to rely on the trust he'd invested into a talking shadow and his own competence should he wish to see another sunrise. The thought of dying still made his breath hitch, his spine shiver with foreboding chills, yet he could now shake it long enough to effect an air of bravo and a mask of determination and surety he didn't quite feel.

"I'm ready."

And prayed too God he was.

**Author's Notes: **And here we are, once more at the end of the chapter and the end of the Prologue. I think I'll name it The Drifting. So, I'm sure you all have questions you want answered, so here we go.

**Drew Went BOOM!: **Drew was exploded. Of course, Kaito's awesome so he managed to safe his charge at the last second, but he won't be doing that much in his current state. Drew's nature as a Drifter marks him as something of a hybrid being not quite human and not quite Oni. As such, The Shade, the birthplace of all shadows, was only able to heal the worse of his injuries instead of healing them fully.

**Empire Building: Rome wasn't built in a day: **And as such, Drew's empire won't rocket into the stars right off the bat. Drew and Kaito are both very rightfully paranoid after the Wong incident and as such are taking a very slow and steady approach to things.

**Elves: Contracts: **Elves, unlike other races, are normally formed of small clans that usually either express enough militant, political, or economic acumen to remain independent or indenture themselves to other clans or races in return for necessities. While older, larger clans are able to sustain themselves, most younger, smaller clans instead must contract themselves to others. These contracts usually vary from race to race and can either make the clan equal partners (a rarity) or slaves (a far more common occurrence). As such, most chieftains are well versed in the art of legalities and will normally require an extended period of careful deliberation before either accepting or rejecting a contract. However, they might be driven to answer sooner with the appropriate encouragement.

Alright, that's it folks. TTFN!


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Notes: I'M BACK, INTERNET! And I come bearing new stuff. Sorry, about the lack of ADF. It's still my baby and I plan on finishing the story this year, but my muse for it hasn't really been up to snuff lately, so yeah, holding off on that for the time being. But hey, we have more of this bad boy, and a new title! Go ahead, look it up 'cause I know you're gonna. But really, the change is to do more with the fact that the actually plot line has been revamped. Plus I wasn't really digging the title all that much. So anyway, without further ado, onward, to the fic!

Callowed

Shi 四: General Parturition

Breathe in. Breathe out. Repeat until sufficiently calm. Once the desired state of serenity has been reached, continue to perform the task at hand. Remember that said task will cement your decision and forever close off any chance you have at return to a normal, ordinary life. Have a brief panic attack before slowly calming down as you recount the number of things and lives that hinge on this decision. Remember that said choice has the entirely likely possibility of killing you. Have a major panic attack over your mortality before slowly calming back down again.

This was pretty much the cycle that Drew's mind ran through as he continued to make preparations for his Rebirth, as Kaito called it. Said shadowy figure was also going through a change of temperament leading up to the event. Mostly in the fact that he practically vibrated with eagerness now. A fanged, expectant grin was on his face whenever he showed himself and Drew could admit to being a bit unnerved by his constant enthusiasm. Not that he could blame the guy. From what he'd been told, this was the equivalent of a new baby being born. (Not a comparison he liked to make, as that placed himself on the level of a newborn.)

Eventually, he managed to calm himself once more and with a deft flick, finished the last of the preparatory seal. Stepping back, he took a moment to take in the scene. According to Kaito, the Rite of Reawakening was an old, tried and tested thing made during the time of Ichiro and had been used for each General since then. As with most Old Magic, it required very specific steps.

First was the setting. The elves had worked hard for three days and nights before Kaito had announced the building to be satisfactory. It was small, barely bigger than his old apartment, and bare save for the platform in the center and four tall, looming columns framing it. The ceiling was open, allowing the light of the full moon to beam down in all its borrowed brilliance.

Second was the seal. It was large, expansive spiral scrawled in the young boy's messy script that stumbled clumsily over the unfamiliar symbols. It wasn't perfect, evident by the various scuffs and smears that frequently cropped up over the work, but it didn't need to be. As what truly mattered was the third and final step: the offering.

"You sure about this?" Drew started so bad he nearly dropped the ink well, but managed to avoid what would be a waste of nearly five hours of hard work "This is a one-way trip. Once you do this, there's no going back."

Jebediah had been the only other person who knew about his insecurity, his fear of this decision. Kaito meant well, but ultimately he cared solely about the restoration of his people; Drew's feelings came a distant second in the face of that. But Jeb knew. Jeb knew about how he was still holding on to the thin hope that maybe he'd be able to go back, retreat once again into the realms of normalcy and not have to worry about elves, Oni, wizards, or magic ever again. And he could even understand it, to a degree.

Another calming breath. His nerves had been fraying all this week leading up to now and they were completely stripped bare at present. He didn't have to say that half of those mistakes on the seal had been from shaking hands as opposed to inexperience. Kaito simply thought him nervous, hesitant before finally tipping over the precipice. Jeb knew it because he was scared outta his mind. He wanted to leave. In that moment, as Kaito shifted into being and called to begin, his first mind was to bolt. The General wouldn't do anything, couldn't in his wraith-like existence. Jeb would let him and the elves would simply think he'd had another panic attack. He could go back home, apologize to his dad, and go back to bickering with Ninja Girl on the playground.

But then he thought about Kaito's excitement, Jeb's encouragement, Jabber's earnestness, the Elves general happiness. All that would disappear if he left. The Elves would be homeless again, Jeb would be disappointed, and Kaito's dreams of the future would be mercilessly crushed like the grass beneath his soles. He thought about the things Kaito had and would teach him, Jeb's dry wit and insightful council, Jabber's all-encompassing enthusiasm. How the elder elves would ask him to help with a something age had made too difficult, children clamored excitably towards him whenever he wondered about, how everyone else would nod and voice thanks for the aid he'd provided and continued to provide.

A small huff rushed from him, a breathless laugh. Who was he kidding? He was too invested, too attached to run away now. And his dad always told him to honor his commitments. So, with that in mind, he made his way into the center, the scruffy Chieftain giving his hand a brief squeeze before slipping away. This part was intimate, after all. And Jeb had denied invitation to watch and no others were allowed. He climbed the three short steps and stood the platform, then started quietly chanting.

The words were the first part: Bathed in presence of Tsukuyomi, he offered his Name, so that it might forever be cast to the heavens. He'd thought a lot about this next part, brain confused upon what to offer before finally settling on his glasses. The thick, ebony frames glinted in the light and he was suddenly reminded of his…well, everything. With a sigh, he offered his Life to Amaterasu, so that her brilliance might blaze away old so new might flourish. He very nearly let out a very unmanly shriek as the eyewear caught a bright, blue fire but managed to withhold it and confidently flick the now burning article at the seal, upon which it lit with the same, burning glow.

He took another breath before finally offer Himself to the Oni, so that he might lead them to glorious prominence. He kept calm, even as he was slowly lofted into the air, struck by how light, but restricted he felt. He kept calm as his own shadow shifted, separating into tendrils that grasp coolly to his skin. When they pulled back, tearing his skin from his body, he managed a brief, ear-splitting scream before he was enveloped in the darkness of his shadow.

-\=/-

The skies were clear, the city was alive with activity, and Miss Hartman actually managed not to spring a surprise quiz on them that day. Her favorite lunch had been waiting in her bag, kids were finally starting to talk to her, and she got a new Super-Moose Limited Edition Plushie yesterday at theme park.

Jade couldn't enjoy it. Everything was finally going her way and she couldn't bring herself to take pleasure in any of it.

Not when the seat adjacent to her was empty. Not when everyone thought Drew was just missing.

But not Jade. She knew the truth. She knew that the boy smiling brightly in the posters wasn't missing. He was gone. Reduced to particles as that bastard, two-cent cross-dresser had basically made him a suicide bomber. He may have gotten away, vanished in a puff of dark smoke, but the Enforcers remained and Jade had even got a good kick in after Jackie and Tohru had beaten them within inches of their lives. Killing kids was not cool.

They dropped them back off to the prison, somewhere remote, heavily guarded, and definitely not nice, and returned to see a familiar face pasted to the street pole outside. Suddenly, reality hit her like the Mountain Demon and she was brought home to the fact that Drew had family, a Dad who was worried enough to post flyers. Jackie had looked sick when he'd seen it and had hurried her off to her room as he made phone calls. She'd gone to her room, stared blankly at the ceiling for half an hour, and then decided that what she was feeling was best dealt with while eating some serious junk food.

She'd snuck down stairs, a force of habit nowadays, and was soon glad she did when she heard the conversation going on in the kitchen.

"Thanks for calling me, Mr. Chan." Jade froze, afraid to move, to even breathe before morbid curiosity and instincts won out and she peek over she a black man in white and blue seated with her uncle and, surprisingly, Captain Black. She hadn't heard him come in. Then again, she was zoned out there for a while. A quick shake and she once more honed in on the discussion.

"It's nothing." Jackie was nursing a steaming cup of something, his posture stiff and eyes heavy with…something. Black looked cool, more so than usual, his posture radiating authority and empathy in equal measure.

"And you said you've seen my son? Drew?" Jade's heart stopped "You know where he is?"

Jackie said nothing, his eyes cutting to Black, before nodding and taking a drink "We don't know anything for sure, but we do know he was last seen somewhere along the coast, possibly heading north to one of the other cities lining the coast."

Jade said nothing. Her mouth was wide open, too shocked to speak even Black continued his spiel "We suspect a kidnapping, but we're not ruling out the possibility of him being a runaway. Should we come across any other information, while let you know." He reached over and gave the man's shoulder a firm squeeze and his mouth stretched into a soft, understanding smile "We'll find him, Mr. Porter. I know it's hard, but just give it time. I'm sure he's fine."

"Yeah. I guess you're right." He wiped a hand over his face, looking tired yet hopeful and Jade was suddenly running for the bathroom, passing a bewildered Tohru before tossing the door open and dry heaving in the toilet.

In the following days, she went to school and listened to idle gossip about what might've happened to her classroom rival. Some said he been abducted by bad guys, others by aliens, and still more by ninjas as a none too subtle dig at her. She watched as the bulletins around school were slowly pinned with a poster. She saw how Miss Hartman would spare a glance at the empty seat between lessons with looks of worry.

Days turned to weeks and Jade watched as Mr. Porter came by the shop, sat with Jackie by the phone and waited. Sometimes they talked, about the weather, the news, their jobs, raising kids, but mostly they waited. He would sit in his chair, checking his cell every few minutes and jumping at every call only to hang up with no success. The man came in each time looking worse and worse off and Jackie would sit with him and wait and listen and talk.

Weeks turned to months and Jade watched as Mr. Porter haltingly asked if he could stay awhile and Uncle for once didn't shout about having another person in his shop. He spent most of his time there by the phone, but slowly started attending training sessions with Jackie, would cook with Tohru, work the register on his days off. But always within reach of a phone. Still waiting. Waiting for a call that would never come because his son was gone.

She'd asked Black, once, earlier when she'd still been furious over the lie. She asked, see screamed, why they couldn't just tell him the truth.

"What truth, Jade?" he didn't crouch, didn't bring himself to her level. He stood, no, loomed over her and stared down with hard, dark eyes and suddenly she knew he was Agent Black "That his son was vaporized into dust by a piece of magic paper by the Wizard who leashed him because he'd accidently turned himself into a demon? Do you think for a single moment that he'd believe that? And we can't simply say he's dead without proof that we don't have without Daolon or whatever is beneath all that rubble in the cave." Then he was soft again, the Black she remembered "This is the best we can offer until otherwise. So just go along with it, okay rookie?"

Jade was no stranger to lying. Even accustomed to it. But they'd always been for some greater goal. Something that she'd wanted or needed to happen. Sure she felt bad about them sometimes, but never had lying hurt before. It hurt whenever she saw Mr. Porter by the phone, hands clasped in prayer. It hurt whenever she heard gossip at school that she had no means of stopping. It hurt seeing her uncle hurt having lie to the man who was quickly becoming a friend. It hurt, hurt, HURT.

But there wasn't anything she could do about it. She knew the truth but also knew it wouldn't be accepted. Acting out would solve nothing and offer little release. So, she sat at her desk and did her Algebra.

Drew had been good at Algebra.

She gripped her pencil tighter and worked.

0\=/0

Warmth. A coolness against his skin, relieving and soothing.

His skin felt prickled and he twitched. The coolness washed over again, soothing but not relieving. It prickled again, flaring into an itch and he longed to scratch it. Limbs trembled, sluggish from disuse as muscles spasm and stretch. Not far enough, the coolness pulsed and he was suddenly angry. He wanted to scratch. He wanted relief the coolness couldn't give, but refused to move. He pushed against it, but it was firm, unyielding. It would yield to _him_. Limbs trembled once again, but more effort than hesitance. He shoved now, the coolness gave but didn't yield. Anger flared once more and he shoved harder, more force. It gave more, stretched thinly but still held. A feeling in his belly, moving to his chest, than mouth, tingling. A shout, loud and fierce and angry and primal. His limbs jumped at the call and he pushed and it gave.

Rushing. A lightness about him as he was tugged down. Falling. Nice until he hit hardness. Discomfort but no hurt. Should hurt. His limbs, Arms, twitch and scrabble at hard flatness. Ground. Light from above, softness clinging to his skin and a warm, thrill. He reaches for it and grasps but gets nothing. He cannot grasp it. The light soon cools and he watches lumps darken it, block it out. This is the Sky. He is on his back. His arms scramble again, this time bracing and his world flips as he does and suddenly he is staring at ground. His other limbs, Legs, are this slow, and they move slower to his command. He looks around. The tall things and light and walls. He doesn't know them. He doesn't know where he is. Who He is. This is important. He Knows this.

"Calm yourself, young shade." Sound. In his Head? Not right, not right. Outside better. He Knows this. "Shhh, that's it. You are doing well, little one." It was soothing. Like coolness had been, but better. The sound makes it better. His chest heaves less now and his legs are strong enough now to follow him. He pushes and is suddenly standing. The Sound. Voice. Speaks again. "Good, good. Now, come back to yourself, young shade."

Come back? How? He doesn't know. He Knows This. But the Voice is soothing and his head is swimming and the world, these walls…make sense now. Yes… Elves built them…Pointy ears and bright eyes, clever for small things. Simple, but not for long. They made this…why...He had them built it. Because he is their leader, even more so than the Older One. Scruffy and sharp and wise with clever hands and tongue. He was Leader because they chose him. And he was complete now. He wasn't before. He Knew This. But he was now.

More things now…He remembered being afraid, indecisive. Being small, immature. Not ready. But he was now. He Knew This. His head hurt now, many things filling it, remembering. He went to a learning place, School. He disliked it and most things there save perhaps that one Girl. He had no Mother, gone before his memories remember, but he did have a Father. Dad, big, strong, steadfast and kind with warm arms and forehead kisses and weekends at the park and arcade and zoo and home with movies and snacks. He loved Dad. _His_ Dad. He wanted him, but could not have him. He wouldn't want him anymore. But he still loved Dad.

More things, recent things. The Girl and him in an argument with spectators. Him losing and rage, hot and violent and rash. The man, the bad influence, the Artist, helped him get even. Queasiness then Fortitude than Pain, pain, pain like never before. Soon rest and then bewilderment in fear. Men in Black. From the Shadows. Angry red then frantic then more pain and the Artist screams. The Voice then shelter than Taken. Bounded and Leashed and Tethered and Humiliated. The Girl then Pain then Yelling then Sound then More Pain then AGONY. Coolness then Elves then Oath then Seal then Hesitance then ANGUISH.

He remembered. Not all but enough. Would be enough until it wasn't.

"Kaito," his voice was rougher, deeper, breaking like glass. Used to be smoother, higher, and tiny, not like Dad "you owe me a drink."

Kaito laughed, a deep thing, but pleasant "That I do, young shade. That I do."

0\=/0

The General could barely contain his excitement. After so many years, new blood had finally been brought back into them. He was still fresh, evident from his scattered focus and foggy recollections, but that is to be expected. After all, the seal had been for a complete Rebirth, instead of the Reawakening that most worthy of the honor received. It granted them far more power and intimacy with the Shade than most Oni. Even he, the Shinobi General himself, didn't possess the same connection his new Lord now possessed. The price paid, the dissolution of all that had been himself previously, had been a necessary cost. Even as he struggled to reconcile memories that were and now never would be complete, Kaito knew he'd made the right decision.

Speaking of the boy, he found himself watching him now, as he took in all around him. He took in his new form with approval. His stature had risen to just over twice that he was before bringing him closer to his own height as opposed to that of a child's before. His skin was a dark maroon that strained somewhat over his enlarged calves and forearms which lent his adolescent frame a power that it would otherwise lack. His hair was a long, wild mass of shockingly white locks that fell to his small of his back and frame his face in small side burns which gave the illusion of age. His face was longer, his chin squared and cheeks chiseled of baby fat. His eyes were a curious pale brown with light pupils and above on either side were an already impressive set of horns tipped an even deeper red. Overall, the boy now looked a figure to be feared, respected, and admired.

The door slid open and the young elf, Jabber, slipped in and poured them their drinks into the flat cups and Kaito nodded his thanks. The elf looked at the boy, who seemed lost for a moment before smiling gently, careful to keep the fangs from sight. It proved the right thing to do as Jabber beamed and retreated back out the door, leaving them in silence.

"So, young shade." Those eyes snapped to attention and he couldn't help but chuckle at their eagerness. "Have you decided on a name for yourself?"

It was a bit of a departure from tradition, as Kaito should be the one gift him with a name befitting his nature, desires, or temperament seeing as was 'assigned' to him. But rules were made to be bent, broken if need be. He'd instructed an elf to procure him a list of names to choose from in their native tongue.

"Yes." He said this a bit seriously and Kaito once more stifled a laugh "This one."

Kaito shifted the shadow to better see the answer and once he had could not contain the pearl of laughter that rumbled from his chest. The boy looked at him with a faint timidity and sheepishness.

"Is it a bad name?" he asked earnestly and Kaito managed to curb his amusement long enough to smile fondly at him. He was still so young, so new to the world. He reminded him of Anko.

"No, Daisuke." He rumbled "It's a fine name."

They raised their cups and drank, Daisuke almost instantly gagging yet still managing to swallow. He sat the cup down and eyed the rest of the bottle with leery eyes. The General chuckled and sipped his drink. The boy would be good for them. All of them.

**Author's Notes**: And there you have it folks! I know it was a little shorter than normal, but I didn't want to do too big chapter as this signifies the end of the Noob Arc and allows us to finally move on into the actual plot now. Like always, here are some Q and A.

**Daisuke: Shadowkhan General**: Yes, Human!Drew is now officially Oni!Drew. To get why Kaito was laughing, Daisuke basically means 'Big, Help' when translated and is a pretty common name in Japan. Kinda like Steve or John or Smith. Which in turn reflects the fact that Daisuke is still average in the grand scheme of things. No powers this time, sorry but that'll come in the next chapter along with possibly the next General.

**Daisuke: Who Am I?**" So basically here's what happened: The Seal of Reawakening is only supposed to change a being's True Shape and doesn't touch their memories or personality all that much. The Seal of Rebirth, however, completely wipes out all traces of who they once were but keeps strong memories and events, but not how they themselves were. So Daisuke knows Jade as the Girl and Jason as the Artist, but not what exactly happened when he was around them. Personality wise, he'll still speak like Drew for the most part but might lean a bit in other directions.

**Jade: The Girl Who Lies**: Jade's having a bit of an internal crisis at the moment. Understandable as Drew is dead and she's discovering that lying can actually hurt. Its one thing to know that and quite another to _know_ that. So even though life is going pretty well for her right now, she's not really getting a chance to enjoy it. Also, can't wait to see her face when she meets up with Drew again.

**Name Change**: The Callow Oni: So, yeah. Name change. This was actually going on for a while but I couldn't really pick a name. Originally, I had this story as The Oni Wear Glasses, but decided against that and instead choose Your Children Are Oni. However, since I last updated, I've reworked the plot quite a bit and the title became less…true, so I changed it. I actually like this title better, since it reflects the General feel of the Oni in this story. Oh and callow means 'inexperience, immature'.

And anyway, until next time. TTFN!


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